Anna Fisher

Anna Fisher is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, affiliated with the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Her research focuses on cognitive development, particularly how children learn, generalize knowledge, and the role of selective sustained attention in academic settings. She explores uniquely human cognitive abilities like category-based reasoning and applies insights to improve educational practices.

Her expertise spans cognitive science, developmental psychology, and learning science. Key research themes include semantic development, inductive generalization, and the interplay between attention and learning. Recent work examines classroom environments' impact on attention allocation and the use of gamification and neuroimaging (fNIRS) to assess executive function in young children.

Publications highlight contributions to understanding attention dynamics, semantic networks, and educational interventions. Her Cognitive Development Lab develops paradigms like the TrackIt task to measure sustained attention and investigates exergame effects on cognitive skills. Findings emphasize optimizing visual environments and book design to enhance children's comprehension and focus.

Current projects explore longitudinal neurodevelopmental pathways using multimethod approaches and validate remote assessment tools for semantic differentiation. Her work bridges theoretical cognitive science with practical educational applications, aiming to refine learning strategies for young learners.